End of Time
by Ridgley Warfield
Summary: Abandoned with Rose on the parallel Earth, the Doctor struggles with being human while a new menace threatens to destroy him.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Time… It seems almost ironic to me now that I was once a Time Lord. Not just a Time Lord—the Last of the Time Lords. I fought in the last great Time War against a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. I am 906 years old, I have traveled to the end of the universe, I have saved entire worlds from destruction…and yet I haven't. I am but an echo of The Doctor; a half-human/half-Time Lord hybrid born in battle. A child of the metacrisis. Full of blood and anger and revenge. Because of me, the last of the Daleks have been destroyed. Mass genocide, and I'm responsible. That is my crime, and death is to be my punishment. Not a swift death, or even a lonely death. The Doctor, the real Doctor, has far more compassion than that. He's left me on Earth in a parallel dimension. With Rose Tyler. Never before have I been able to grow old with my companions. I've watched them wither and die. But not her. No, the Doctor has given both of us a gift. A gift of a life together._

The only challenge is that Rose is still in love with him, the real Doctor, the one still out there in the TARDIS, still saving worlds. She still doesn't believe that he and I are the same-well, maybe not the same, but he is part of me. We've the same memories, same thoughts, same everything. I remember standing on the beach in Dårlig Ulv Stranden, next to Rose and her Doctor as she asked us to remember what we'd said to her the last time we'd parted. I thought, I'd hoped, that what I'd told her...the way the sentence would have ended...had convinced her that I am, in some way, still her Doctor. But then, I saw her face, saw the sadness and despair as she watched the TARDIS disappear, forever separating her from him. I experienced my first human heartbreak then; knowing I would never be the man she truly loved, but still hoping I could make her happy.

We stood there in that bay for so long that day. The wind whipped around us, freezing cold, chapping our skin. It was Jackie who had finally broken the silence...

"I'm gonna kill your father," Jackie muttered, hugging her coat tighter around her plump body, blonde hair pulled from her loose ponytail and flying around her head like a flock of yellow-white birds. "Can't believe he's taking so long."

"We are in Norway, Mum," Rose said softly as she turned about, not releasing the Doctor's hand. "It's not like we're just 'round the corner."

"Well he could send a tele-port, now couldn't he?" Jackie argued. The Doctor smirked softly inspite of himself. He'd missed this so much.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You know that's only for emergencies, Mum."

"This is an emergency! He'll be all out of sorts by the time we get home, after having been with your brother all day. You know how fussy he can get." She looked at the Doctor and clarified, "Pete, that is..."

Rose had tuned her mother out and had turned to face the Doctor, taking his other hand and holding it in hers. "Together," she echoed his earlier sentiment, then took an anxious breath. "This is going to take a bit of getting used to...you being you."

He knew what she meant and offered a soft smile, stroking her hands with his thumbs. "It's just like before, when I regenerated, only this time I still look the same. You got used to me then. Liked me more, I think." He teased her gently, knowing that while Rose had always liked him quite a lot, it was his most recent appearance and personality she had fallen in love with.

She bit her bottom lip and smiled somewhat shyly before leaning forward, uttering a playful, "shut up" before she tugged him down for another kiss. Though he and Rose had shared a few kisses over the course of their travels, this body had only experienced the feel of her kiss twice now. He remembered what it was like to kiss her, thanks to the Doctor's memories, but actually kissing her blew him away. He felt nearly numb, and tingled with the sheer exhilaration of it. Her lips were so soft...

The Doctor realized she had pulled away and was speaking to him again. "You'll stay with me? I still live with my Mum and Dad, but there's an extra room...if you want. And Tony will be mad about you. Mum and I have told him all about you."

His smile returned once again. "What do you say, Jackie; mind if I stay with you lot for a bit?"

"Where else would you go?" Jackie's tone suggested that she would consider no alternative but having him stay with them. Before anyone could say anything else, the sound of an engine could be heard from the air and the three on the beach looked up to see a zeppelin coming to hover above them.

"Still hard to get used to that," Rose muttered in awe as the zeppelin drifted down and the three were able to climb onboard. The Doctor didn't recognize the man and woman who greeted them, but it was obvious they knew the Tyler's.

"We were just over Germany when Pete sent out a call for the nearest ship," the man was speaking in a heavy aristocratic accent, bouncing up on the balls of his feet several times, his large rotund belly sticking out in front of him and threatening to pop the buttons of his waistcoat. He was a comical looking man, with a large mustache and small round spectacles. His hair had gone all salt and peppery with age. For a moment the doctor wandered what his own hair would look like in a few years. Some of his former selves had appeared older, but he'd never really been stuck with one body before. Never had to age physically.

"You must be the Doctor," the small woman said, breaking into his thoughts. "Oh, but we've heard so much about you."

The Doctor offered a tight smile to her, noticing her spirally ginger hair. He'd always wanted to be ginger... "I was the Doctor," he told her, then looked to Rose. "But not anymore."

Obviously confused, but too polite to ask further questions, the man and woman turned their attention to Jackie, leaving Rose and the Doctor to themselves. Rose was looking at him with a strange expression and he led her over to a plush looking sofa as the zeppelin took off again. They sat, turning slightly to face one another.

"Now that you're human...I can't go 'round calling you 'The Doctor.' You'll need a proper name. You've never told me what your real name was."

"You'd never be able to pronounce it, if I did." He replied, reaching up to scratch his ear. The subject of his name always made him uneasy. "Besides that, I've been forbidden from ever speaking my name to anyone again."

"Why?" Rose asked, intrigued and quietly outraged, but mostly confused. "By who?"

"By my people." He answered, leaning back against the sofa and taking her hand. "Gallifrey is a lot different from Earth when it comes to names. When a person leaves Gallifrey, they abandon their name and take on a title."

"The Doctor..." Rose said softly, understanding that was the title had taken on, but still not understanding why he couldn't speak his name. "What happens if you say your real name?"

"Dunno..." He shrugged. "Never cared to find out. There were stories that you'd burn up from the inside out from the shame of it all, but far as I know that never happened to anyone."

"So, what are we going to call you, then?"

"I suppose I'll continue on as John Smith. I've always used that alias on Earth. I've grown to like it, I think."

"John Smith," Rose repeated thoughtfully. "Yeah, I suppose that'll work."

He noted that she looked tired-very tired; then remembered what she'd said about jumping from universe to universe trying to find him. How long had she been looking? Four years had passed since he'd left her stranded in this world; he was willing to bet, she started looking for him the moment she got here. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against him. Rose settled her head against his shoulder, locking her fingers with his. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply his scent, before growing still. "One heartbeat..." she murmured softly before falling asleep in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Sometime later the Doctor found himself being gently shaken by the shoulder. He opened his eyes and lifted his head from where it rested on Rose's. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep, but as he blinked himself awake, he saw Jackie smiling softly. "We're nearly there. They've brought us as far as Paris, we can take a tram back to London from here."

"Brilliant," the Doctor replied, stifling a yawn. "Never been on the tram before."

Rose stirred just then, lifting her head sleepily. "What's goin' on? Are we home?"

"France," the Doctor answered softly. "Taking a tram the rest of the way. My first adventure on this Earth."

Rose looked up at him and laughed softly. "Some things really don't change, do they?"

"Told you," he said solemnly. "Same person."

She seemed to consider this for a long moment, then pushed off of him slowly. "Let's go then."

The tram ride home was insignificant to Rose and Jackie, who'd obviously grown accustomed to living in this world. Jackie complained about the amount of people on the tram, even though the three of them had been given a compartment all their own. Seeing as how Great Britain was separated by the sea from France, this particular tram ran underground in a clear tunnel. The Doctor had pressed his face against the glass window of their car, trying to peer out in all directions at the sea life that surrounded him.

"This is incredible!" He declared with glee, watching fish and sharks and other creatures swimming around with seemingly no notice of the large hunk of metal and electronics hurtling past them. Rose leaned against him, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she held onto his arm. She smiled, infected by his excitement.

"Sometimes I forget they didn't have all this back home," Rose commented. "Well, they've got a train that runs under the water like this one, but you can't see out."

"I'd rather not see out," Jackie commented from behind them. "Can't help thinking what would happen if that tunnel were to cave in. Stuck down here...no way out-"

"Mum," Rose cut in sharply, obviously disturbed by the morbid thinking. She shook her head sharply as Jackie looked over.

"Right," Jackie said, dismissing the thought and looking at the doctor. "So, I don't want to be a damper, but...what are you going to do now, Doctor?"

"You mean now that I'm stuck here on Earth?" He hadn't thought that far ahead just yet. The only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Rose. If he only had one life left, he wanted to make it count. But...living as a human? He'd spent enough time watching them to know that humans were expected to make a living, buy a house, raise a family. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "I dunno."

"What 'bout teaching?" Rose offered. "Remember when we fought the Krillitanes? You posed as a physics teacher?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed, thoughtfully. "I seem to always become a teacher whenever I pose as a human." He remembered locking his Time Lord essence into his fob watch as he and Martha Jones had hid from The Family of Blood back in 1913.

"Torchwood will help us get any papers you want," Rose told him. "You know, since you don't have the psychic paper anymore. You'll need something a bit more permanent."

He hadn't thought about that either. No psychic paper, no TARDIS, no sonic screwdriver. He was glad that he was here with Rose; had he been alone, he wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with being human. Rose seemed to sense his thoughts and again took his hand, squeezing it genly.

"Been quite a day for you," she commented. "Becoming human an' all."

"Yeah..." he took a deep breath. "Yeah, it has."

-

By the time they reached the Powell Estate where Rose and her family lived, the three of them were nearly exhausted. The Doctor found this to be ironic as well. He'd been traveling for hundreds of years and had never grown tired of it, rarely needed to sleep, and always had so much energy. One afternoon traveling around Earth and he was ready to sleep for a week.

Pete was waiting for them in the foyer when they came in and Jackie ran to him, throwing herself in his arms and planting kisses all over his face. "I was scared I'd never see you again."

"C'mon," Pete told her with a smile. "The end of the universe could never stop you from getting back here to us." He seemed to notice the Doctor for the first time. "Doctor…I didn't expect to ever see you again."

"Yeah, me either," the Doctor replied as he shook Pete's hand. Pete looked to Rose and Jackie for an explanation, as the Doctor was not forthcoming with information.

"He's human, now, Dad…" Rose supplied. "He's staying here with us for a bit."

"Human?" Pete repeated, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"It's a long story," Jackie told him. "I'll explain later."

Rose looked up at the Doctor, reaching over and taking his hand. "Come on, I'll show you around."

The Doctor let himself be led around the house, introduced to the servants, shown the various rooms, and finally ending up in Rose's bedroom. It was simple with all the usual furniture one would expect to find, but one entire wall was taken up by a large desk covered with books and papers and a computer. On the wall was a map—of sorts—with colored tacks and post-it notes all over. He went to look at it, unable to decipher her notes. She came up beside him, pointing to various things as she explained.

"All the places I've been, looking for you. I feel like I haven't slept since I started working with Torchwood to track you down."

"How did you know, Rose?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"I told you...the stars started to go out. I'd wanted to find you for so long before that. Since Doomsday…since Bad Wolf Bay…I've tried to work it out, how to get back to you. I was never clever enough on my own, but eventually we knew that the fabric of the universe was starting to tear again. I knew that was my chance. I knew you wouldn't risk coming back here for me…so I went to you."

"And you found me," he told her, taking her hand and turning to face her. "You're brilliant, Rose Tyler. Absolutely brilliant."

Hesitantly, Rose lifted her free hand and placed it over his heart, feeling the steady beat. "It feels like a dream, y'know? I always dreamed of finding you again. Sometimes we'd end up together, but sometimes you seemed like you had no idea who I was. You'd walk right by me without even looking. I'd try to talk to you, but you'd just…disappear."

"I could never forget you, Rose. I never did. Life was never the same without you. Part of me died that day we said our last goodbyes, but I never forgot you. Even the deepest part of my subconscious had your image ingrained in it." He'd kept a journal in 1913 of dreams that he'd had, dreams of the TARDIS, of traveling, of Rose. None of his companions, not even Sarah Jane Smith had ever had such a hold over him.

She was quiet for a long minute and he watched her eyes fill with tears. "I can't stop thinking about him." He knew she meant her Doctor. "Do you think he'll be alright? Do you think he misses me?"

His heart skipped a sad beat. He'd never be able to measure up to her Doctor, even though they were one in the same. "Of course he does, that's why I'm here. So that he can be with you…in a way. Do you remember what I told you once, about never being able to grow old with my companions? That's all he ever wanted with you. That's I all want." He swallowed hard after a moment, wiping away a tear that trickled down her cheek. "Do you think you'll ever love me as much as you love him?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, surprised at his words. "I do love you," she answered. "It's just…there's two of you, and I know you're him—partly—but I…"  
He watched her fumble to explain, understanding the unspoken: he still wasn't her Doctor. Not really. She needed time to adjust to this. They both did. He tried to offer her a smile, but failed, releasing her hand and turning away, walking towards her bed and sitting on the edge. "I'm so sorry that you got landed with me."

"Don't say that!" She squeaked, more tears falling as she came over to the bed and threw her arms around him. "Don't you dare. I love you—both of you—I just can't help wishing he was here too. That doesn't mean that I love you any less."

They sat there for a long while, holding onto one another, both lost in their own thoughts. "We've got so much to do…" Rose said thoughtfully after a few minutes. "You'll need clothes, a toothbrush, a razor…and then there's the matter of your papers from Torchwood…"

It struck the Doctor for the first time that he'd been stranded here without any money. He typically never kept money on him anyways, but this seemed like one of those times he probably should have. "I…don't have any money, Rose."

"Don't worry," she replied, turning her head to kiss his neck. "We'll take care of you. I'll think of a way you can pay me back." She smirked up at him, and he knew immediately what she meant. His ears went pink again, but he felt an odd trickling sensation in his stomach. Desire. "I'm going to take a shower; then, if you want, we can go to the shops?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice and watched her saunter off to the bathroom. Once she had closed the door, he let out a heavy sigh, then hauled himself off her bed and tried to find his way back downstairs to wait for her. He heard a small child laughing in a nearby room and Jackie's voice carrying down the hall. Curious, the Doctor tiptoed closer, peering in the partially opened door. Jackie looked up and smiled at him from her position on the floor in front a toddler who was currently playing with a toy spaceship, making it fly around.

"Come on, then." She told him. "Come meet Tony."

The boy turned as his mother spoke to the Doctor, curious at the stranger. Tony had brown eyes and mousy brown hair that hung into his eyes. He was a beautiful child, and his eyes glittered with wonder. His toys were temporarily forgotten.

The Doctor smiled and squatted down before the young child. "Hello there, Tony. I'm the Doctor…well, not so much the Doctor anymore. Best you call me John, then. John Smith."

"John Smith?" Jackie asked. "That your real name, is it?"

"Earth name," he replied simply.

"Seems so plain for a man like you."

"Oh? What would you call me then?"

"I dunno," Jackie replied as she pushed Tony's hair out of his eyes. "Maybe David."

He raised his eyebrows a little in consideration. "No, no I still like John Smith."

"Suit yourself then." She replied. "Say hello, Tony."

"Hi." The boy said shyly, tilting his face down but still observing the stranger from under his long eye lashes, his eyes so very full of curiosity.

"Where's Rose?" Jackie asked as she pushed herself off the floor.

"Shower." The Doctor replied, standing as well. "Which is probably not a bad idea, but we'll be off to find me some clothes soon."

"You can borrow some of Pete's clothes if you want. He's got a few pullovers that will fit you just fine."

"Thanks," he smiled softly. "I'm already enough of a burden as it is."

"Come off it, Doctor. You're never a burden. You're family."

The word struck a chord with him and he looked at her with a solemn expression. She considered him family. "You've no idea what that means to me, Jackie."

"I can imagine I do," she said softly. "Out there on your own for so long. Did you have a family, Doctor?"

"Oh yes," he said wistfully. "A very large family. A wife, children…parents, brothers and sisters, friends… They all died. All of them."

"You were a father?" She sounded shocked.

"Oh yes, a grandfather too." He could feel tears threatening to fall and tried to smile. "That was a very long time ago now."

She looked at him suspiciously, "Exactly how old are you?"

"906. Though I suppose I should try and find an 'Earth age' now."

"906!" Jackie nearly shouted. "You don't look a day over 30. When's your birthday then?"

"Well, by my calculations with the Earth calendar, it should be somewhere near November 23rd."

"Shoulda known you were a Sagittarius." Jackie gave him a teasing looking of disdain. "Adventurous, your lot. Travelers."

"That's me." He said with a smile.

"There you are," Rose's voice interrupted from the door. She had cleaned up and changed clothes. The Doctor silently wondered if she could ever look more radiant.

"Wose!" Tony squealed from the floor, jumping up and running at his sister, throwing his tiny arms as far around her as they would go.

"'ey, short stuff." Rose smiled and ruffled her brother's hair, leaning down to give him a kiss.

"Did you know that he's 906 years old? And he's a grandfather?" Jackie asked Rose conspiratorially as if the Doctor was no longer in the room.

"Geez, Mum, you didn't waste any time interrogatin' him, did'ya?" Rose came over and took his hand, squeezing it affectionately, before looking up at him curiously. "Grandfather? Really?"

Jackie cut in as the Doctor gave a modest shrug. "What? I haven't spent as much time with him as you have. Is that such a crime?"

Ignoring her mother, Rose turned to him. "So, shopping then, eh?"

He winked at her. "Allons-y."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

The trip into London was peaceful enough. Rose had acquired her own car and had driven them to an area where they could walk to several different shops. Being partial to suits, the Doctor had asked if Rose knew of a good tailor where he could have one or two things fitted. She had laughed as he'd picked out a dark suit with light blue pinstripes.

"You've got one like that, haven't you?"

"Had one," he corrected. "What I've got on is all I've got now. Why? Don't you like pinstripes?"

"They're brilliant," she smirked, teasingly.

"What do you like then?"

"I'm kidding, you stupid git."

"Resorting to name calling, have you? You think you know a person…" he teased as he looked at several other colors and patterns for suits.

"I like the brown one," Rose offered, picking up the sleeve a light brown suit with even lighter brown pinstripes. "And it's got stripes."

He smiled at her and had the tailor order up the brown with pinstripes as well. With the order in—ready in a week's time—and the Doctor all measured up, the pair left the tailor's shop hand in hand.

"Do you ever wear casual clothes? Jumpers? T-Shirts? Denims?"

"I have. I suppose I could do with a pair of casuals. Can't wear a suit all the time." He teased with a smirk, as he had-mostly-done just that in his time as the Doctor.

"Come on, I get to pick this lot." She tugged his hand as she moved faster through the crowd on the street. She took him to a small outlet with name brand clothing, graphic tees, hoodies and pullovers, and all types of denims imaginable. She'd gone through the store, picking out shirts and pants and piling them in his arms as they went.

"You've done this once or twice." He noted how she seemed to know his size and what he might find stylish for casual clothes. He was impressed.

"I worked in a shop before, remember?" She commented, still plucking items off racks and shelves. "I used to help people pick out clothes all the time."

She shoved him into the dressing room, sneaking in with him before the attendant caught them. His ears went pink again. "I'm not changing clothes with you here."

"Why? You're not shy are you?" She teased, her eyes automatically traveling down his torso to the front of his pants. Her eyebrow quirked up before she met his eyes again. His blush deepened.

"No… but…well…" He'd never been concerned about nudity before, and wasn't quite sure why he was now. It was natural, after all. All creatures were born naked.

She laughed softly, interrupting his thoughts, and picked a pair of denims and a tee from the pile he'd placed on the dressing room bench. "Here, put these on. I'll turn around until your done."

It took nearly an hour of trying on clothes before he and Rose agreed on 3 different pairs of jeans, a handful of shirts of varying sleeve length, and one grey hoodie with Fitch across the chest. They made their way to the another store where Rose let him pick out boxers, pajamas, and socks, then finally to a shoe store where he spotted his favored chucks. He settled on a pair of white low tops and black high tops after having marveled at the various colors, designs and patterns.

"I'm starved," Rose said as they left the store, their hands filled with packages and bags. "Let's stop by the car to drop these off, then grab a bite to eat, yeah?"

"Sure," he replied, having more fun shopping with her than he thought he might, though he still felt guilty that he wasn't able to pay for anything. They passed a shop with eyewear and he paused, looking at one of the displays. "Think I should get a pair of glasses? The other Doctor and I have the same eyesight, and he's got the glasses."

They popped in and—knowing his prescription right off—he told the woman behind the counter what he wanted. She led him over to a glass case where he found a pair of frames similar to the ones his counterpart currently had. The woman smiled as he tried them on.

"You look quite smart in that pair," she told him. "We could have them ready within the hour if you want to wait."

"We'll just pop back by if that's alright?"

The woman nodded and disappeared and the two finally made it back to the car to leave their purchases.

"God, I want some chips." Rose said.

The doctor couldn't help but smile. Rose had always loved chips, they were her favorite food and anytime they'd come to Earth, it was one of the first stops she made. They found a cozy little place that served mainly fish or hamburgers, and of course chips, and settled down at a table on the patio. It was warmer here than it had been in Dårlig Ulv Stranden. Rose sipped a diet soda while he had tea.

"So, you really can't tell me your name?" She asked after their chips arrived.  
He picked one up, biting into it before answering. "What is it with humans and names? Even Shakespeare wondered 'what's in a name?'"

"It's how we identify each other, it's something unique to all of us. We've all got a first, middle and last name."

"What's your middle name, Rose Tyler?" The Doctor asked, not remembering just then if he'd ever heard it.

"Not until you tell me at least part of your name."

He sighed and looked at her steadily for a long minute as she chewed on a chip. "Give me a pen."

"What?"

"A pen, I'll write it down. It doesn't translate well into English and if I do, you'll want to see it written to understand. Gallifrey's language is based in mathematics, therefore our names are mathematical."

Rose quickly reached into her small bag and pulled out a pen. The Doctor plucked a paper napkin from the holder on the table and laid it between them as he wrote out his name: ϑ³∑x².

"I wouldn't know where to begin to know how to pronounce that." Rose admitted after staring at it for a moment."

"In English, it's Theta Power-Three Sigma Ex Power-Two. In Gallifreyan it's actually pronounced de Lœngbærrow." He spoke it quickly, slamming his eyes shut as he did it, afraid of what would happen now that he'd spoken it. After a moment, when nothing happened, he opened one eye and looked at her. She was gawking at him.

"Can you say that again…slower this time?"

"Chrístõ-davõreen-diamondhært-mallõup-dracœ-fire-delún-miancuimhne de Lœngbærrow," he said slower. "Most of my friends at university called me Theta Sigma, or Thete. Hardly anyone called me Chrístõ. Of course, when I left Gallifrey, I gave all of that up and became The Doctor."

"Chrístõ," Rose said softly. "I think it's beautiful. Would it be alright if I called you Thete? I'll have to practice saying it in Gallifreyan. You might have to write that down as well."

He felt a well of emotion in his heart. It had been so long since anyone had said his name, had acknowledged him as anything but The Doctor. A lump formed in his throat and he could only nod in response.

"de Lœngbærrow," Rose repeated curiously, dribbing vinegar on a chip before popping it into her mouth. "Is that like a last name or somethin'?"

"There's no real first, middle, or surname for Gallifreyans. It's more a…designation, just like Britain assigns you a National Health Service Number. Well, since Gallifreyan is based on numbers, our identification numbers are our names." He pointed at the paper with his name. "Think of the Greek Alphabet—Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Zi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega— Each of our designations has two letters of the alphabet. For me, Theta and Sigma. Everything is based off of the cycle we're born in. Earth has 12 months in a year. Gallifrey has 24—what you would call—months, that correspond with the Greek alphabet. Each month has 6 cycles. I was born in the third cycle of Theta: ϑ³. The second letter represents how many births there were that month. So ∑x² means that they had gone from Alpha to Omega once already, and had come back around to Sigma again when I was born."

He took a sip of tea to wet his throat. "de Lœngbærrow denotes the Gallifreyan year that I was born."

"What happens if two babies are born at the same time?"

The Doctor considered this for a moment. "I dunno, it's never happened before, but I'm sure they'd find an equation for it."

"But why did Gallifrey use the Greek alphabet?"

"Well, they didn't always. There are two ancient languages in Gallifrey—Old High and Old Low Gallifreyan. Old High Gallifreyan had—oh, I dunno—somewhere around 10,000,000 letters and characters. They adopted a shorter Omegabet that was considered Modern Gallifreyan and it consisted of only about 1,000,000 characters. This language was more mathematical than alphabetical but it wasn't considered very practical by a lot of people. You've seen the symbols on the navigation screen in the TARDIS? Those are Modern Gallifreyan. It wasn't until the Greek mathematician Diophantus started making advances with algebraic equations, that our Senate realized it was the perfect marriage between the alpha and omegabet, and adopted it. The Time Lords have always had a great interest in the Earth." He smiled softly at her.

"It's no wonder you're as clever as you are. A whole world based in mathematics. I can barely figure up how much I'm saving when I see a 20% off sale sign in a shop."

The Doctor laughed, looking at her with a loving expression. "Ah, but there's more cleverness to you than mathematics, Rose Tyler. And you still haven't told me your middle name."

"Marion," she smiled, pleased that she finally knew the Doctor's name.

"Rose Marion Tyler," he smiled back at her as they finished their chips.

-

After a quick stop by the market to pick up toiletries, the pair finally made it back to the Powell Estate. Jackie had come out to help them carry in packages, her eyes nearly popping at all the sacks.

"I hope you left something for the other shoppers out there," she teased.

"He needed everything, Mum," Rose replied as they carried things up to the spare bedroom that would be the Doctor's. The pair of them collapsed on the bed, exhausted once again from their trek around London shops. Jackie shook her head at them.

"Look at you lot, worn plum out. Dinner's ready soon; wash up and leave this here. I'll have the ladies come up and sort it out."

The Doctor fell back on the bed as Jackie left, pushing a shoe box out from under his head. "I wish she wouldn't waste the servants on me, I can take care of myself."

"Mum's gotten used to having them around," Rose replied as she laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest. "I think she feels like they should be doing things in order to earn their pay."

He tucked his arm around her shoulders, sighing softly and closing his eyes. Rose fidgeted with the lapel on his jacket. "Do you think you'll be happy here?" Her voice was quiet and worried.

"With you? Absolutely."

"Not just with me, but…being human. On Earth. Without the TARDIS. I remember what it was like when I came here, knowing I couldn't travel again with you, never see the wonderful places out there in the universe… It was awful…and you've been doing it for 900 years."

"Well, not quite 900," the Doctor said softly. "But you have to remember Rose, this is completely new for me. A new Earth, new history, new people. There's so much to learn here, and I can do it all with you. The question is…can you be happy with me? I'm not him, I don't even know how much of my Time Lord essence is left, or how that effects me now…if it even matters at all."

Rose didn't answer him verbally, instead she rolled over, maneuvering her body so that she was straddling his hips, her hands braced against the mattress on either side of his head as she leaned down and kissed him deeply. After a long moment, she pulled back and looked at him. "Does that answer your question?"

-

It wasn't particularly late when everyone had gone off to bed. He'd taken the time to have a shower and a shave after he and Rose had bade each other goodnight and parted ways. Lying alone in the guest bed, with the house completely still and quiet, gave the Doctor time alone with his thoughts…which were turning gloomier by the second.

He missed the sound of the TARDIS, the constant hum of it in his veins. He missed Sarah Jane, Donna Noble, Martha Jones and good ol' Captain Jack Harkness. He even missed Mickey and Wilf Mott. He'd never see any of them again. He'd never visit a new planet, meet a new species, save a new civilization, have a new adventure. He'd told Rose he'd be happy, but now he really found himself wondering. The Doctor could have left him and Rose in the same universe as the others, why hadn't he? He could have taken Jackie back home to Pete...sure Rose would never see them again, but they'd still be among friends.

The Doctor realized how completely selfish that thought was, but part of him didn't care. Here, he had Rose...but if she grew tired of him, if she couldn't accept him as a human after all, then where would they be? He'd have nobody. He'd be alone on an alien planet with no friends, no money, no way off. At least, if nothing else, he'd eventually die, but that was a grim outcome at best. He remembered Sarah Jane telling him how awful it was to be left behind after getting a taste of what was out there. He'd always been sorry about that—truly he had—but now he was the one who had been left behind by the Doctor and it hurt. It really hurt.

There was soft knock at the door before it was pushed open. His eyes had adjusted in the darkness enough to see Rose's blonde head poke in. "You still awake?" She whispered loudly.

"Yeah," he replied softly, shifting over to one side and pulling the covers back in invitation to her. "Can't sleep?"

"No." She admitted as she shut the door behind her and crawled into his bed. "You?"

"No." He agreed, then hesitantly, "Rose, I really am so sorry if I ever made you feel like I was leaving you behind. I'd gotten so used to my companions coming and going that it just became normal. I stopped considering how they might feel about it."

"To be fair, you didn't have a choice with me. Neither of us wanted it to happen, but…" her hands found him in the dark and she pulled herself closer, curling into his body. "At least I found you again. I'm never letting you go."

"I don't want you to." He replied softly, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Tell me again," she said softly. "The way the sentence was going to end."

He turned on his side, looking at her in the dark. Her eyes had finally adjusted as she looked at him, breathing heavily and waiting his response.

Echoing her own muted tones, the Doctor leaned in closer, whispering, "I love you."

A smile broke out on Rose's face and she closed the remaining distance between them, pressing her lips to his. His hands found her body beneath the sheets, and he pulled her flush against him as he happily returned the kiss. She tasted of mint toothpaste and cherry lip-gloss and for a moment he thought perhaps it was the most wonderful flavor combination ever.

Pulling back from the kiss, Rose asked a question that had been on her mind for a while. "That girl…Martha Jones…when I told her who I was…you told the others about me?"

"Oh yes."

"But, you've never mentioned anyone before. Not even Sarah Jane."

"I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Rose. No one."

"What about your wife back on Gallifrey?"

He hesitated for a long moment, but softly shook his head. "I loved her, of course, but what I feel for you scares me. I never cleared your stuff out of the TARDIS. I moved it to my room so that no one would touch it."

She smiled softly, her eyes watering. "And all this time, I though you didn't fancy me."

"Oh, Rose Tyler, I've probably fancied you too much, right from the moment I told you to run."

She laughed softly and he grinned. Rose tucked herself against the crook of his arm, closing her eyes. "Tell me about Gallifrey."

He was caught off guard by the question, but then had a thought. He moved so that he was laying on his side, facing her. "I don't know if this will work, but I can try to show you…if you want?"

"Show me?" She looked at him quizzically. "How?"

"Time Lords have the ability to see into people's minds. See their thoughts. I never believed that it could go both ways with someone who wasn't telepathic, but it happened once, with Madame de Pompadour. I'm not even sure I can do, being human and all, but I could try."

"What do I need to do?" Rose asked, anxious.

"Just…trust me," he said as he placed his fingers along her temple and looked deep in her eyes, concentrating. As a Time Lord, this only required minimal effort, but now he was only part Time Lord, and it took a great deal of effort.

_A door once opened…_ Madame de Pompadour had told him.

He could see into Rose's mind, hear her thoughts as if they were his own.

"Oh my God," she said softly, her voice shaking slightly. "I can feel you in my head."

"If it gets unpleasant, I can stop." He told her with great seriousness.

"No," She said almost too quickly, as if he'd threatened to take away something of great joy to her. "Please, don't."

"Try and step into my mind, think of it as a doorway." He told her, still not truly understanding how Rennette had done it, but after a few moments, he could feel Rose…just there. It was almost overwhelming at how intimate having her in his mind felt. She was gentle, ever so careful, her thoughts like a gentle caress to his weary mind. He shivered involuntarily, almost unable to hold the connection open. After a long moment to recompose his thoughts, he began to think of Gallifrey—the organge-yellow planet he called home. He thought of the burnt orange skies at night, the silver-leafed trees that tinkled like wind chimes in the breeze, the deep-red grass and snow covered mountains. He thought of the twin suns and the copper moon. He thought of his childhood home on the mountain side, remembering how he used to run down the side of the mountain, amazed by the rich reds and purples and golds of the rocks. He thought of the Flutterwings and Tafelshrews, the dome-covered citadel and Mount Perdition.

"It's so beautiful." Rose said, tears running down her face. After a moment's consideration, the Doctor showed Rose the memories of his past life-his days at university, his parents, wife, children, grandchildren, and... A sharp pain in his temple severed the connection. Rose gasped and looked at him, obviously having felt the stab of pain as well.

"What happened?"

"Oh, hello…" the Doctor said, a bit startled, as he rubbed the side of his head. "That's new."

"What?" She asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Never gotten a headache from doing that before. Guess I still have a few abilities left, but this human shell doesn't have the tolerance for them."

Rose pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. "Thank you for showing me."

He closed his eyes, genuinely exhausted mentally and physically. "I'm glad I could." He admitted sleepily. Rose settled back in against him and the pair quickly drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note**: The Doctor's name is all based on speculation and popular theory. His name has been shown as ∂³∑x² , however ∂ is the Greek letter for Delta. I have corrected the name to show Theta instead in this fic (ϑ³∑x²). My theory on how they are named is purely my own speculation and thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** No matter what I try, I can't get the breaks between different scenes to show up. Anyone have any suggestions? I promise it's not supposed to all run together like it's showing on here.

**CHAPTER FOUR**

When the Doctor awoke the next morning, he found himself alone in his bed, to his mild disappointment, but a quick look at the clock on the bedside table told him that it was nearly noon. Never in his life had he slept so long, but—then again—he'd never been part human before. His head still ached from the previous night and he winced against the annoying throb as he sat up and stretched.

He knew he shouldn't have been surprised that Rose had let him sleep late, but he was surprised that Jackie hadn't come poking around checking to see if he was still alive. It felt strange to prepare for the day when he had nowhere to go and nothing to do. He had no idea what life entailed for the Tyler's on this Earth. He knew they were involved with Torchwood, and was curious about what this Earth had seen as far as aliens and unexplained phenomenon. They'd seen the Cybermen, or course, but what else had transferred over to this universe? The Doctor was eager to find out, but leery at the same time. Scientists had wanted to study him before, dissect him, run him through tests to learn about his alien physiology. Would they be so interested now that he was only part Time Lord? He somehow didn't doubt it. Part Time Lord was better than no Time Lord to their lot, he supposed. He'd always been able to run to the TARDIS for protection or a quick escape. He didn't have that luxury here. He'd be completely at their mercy. That bothered him…more than he cared to admit.

Suits still not ready for a few more days, the Doctor donned a pair of his new jeans, belt and white button up shirt. His hair was sticking up in places, as it normally tended to do, and he gave his teeth a quick brush before he finally shoved his feet into his black Converse and went off to find Rose.

Instead of Rose, however, he found Jackie sitting at the kitchen table with a snacking Tony. She looked up at him as he came in and she took a double take at his appearance. "Look at you, then. Never seen you without a suit before…except the time we put you in Howard's nightclothes. You look quite handsome like that."

He smiled, "Thank you," then asked, "…Where's Rose?"

"She's gone off with Pete to Torchwood," Jackie replied. "Pete thought it best they go without you…just until everything's sorted."

That didn't sit well with him. His mind again turned to thoughts of experimentation and testing. He knew Rose would never allow them to hurt him, but one brave girl against millions wasn't likely to stop them. Not if their society was still the way it had been the last time he'd been here with her. The legacy of John Lumic was nothing to be proud of.

"Oh! I nearly forgot." Jackie's shrill voice broke into his thoughts. "A package came for you."

His eyes cut to hers sharply. "For me?"

"Well, there's no one else here calling himself 'Dr. John Smith,' now is there?" She got up and disappeared from the room for a minute before coming back with a small, brown box. He took it from her hands and examined it, carefully. The label was written in his handwriting.

"Who delivered it?"

"I don't know," Jackie sounded defensive, as if she was being interrogated. "I found it lying about when I woke up this morning. None of the servants could recall it getting delivered. D'you know who it's from?"

"Yeah…" he said softly. "It's from The Doctor." 

Jackie's eyes snapped to his, fear written in her face. "How's it from him? I thought he couldn't come back to our world or we'd be ripped apart!"

"He must have known this was going to happen…" The Doctor pondered the question himself. "Time, for me—him—is not linear. Things don't occur in order. That's one of the drawbacks…or benefits, however you see it…of being a time traveler. He must have known this was coming. You're right that he couldn't have come back here. He can never come back here, but he could have given it to someone who came here with you and Rose four years ago."

"Mickey?" She wondered aloud.

He nodded softly. "It's the only option that makes sense."

"But...he went back home, to our Earth. How could it just have gotten here?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Are you certain it wasn't here before you and Mickey used the teleporters to get to the other Earth?"

Jackie was thinking, but it was obvious by the expression on her face she couldn't be sure. "I suppose he coulda left it before he and I went off, but..." she couldn't explain the package.

"It had to be Mickey," the Doctor said, convinced. Jackie blinked at him.

"Well, go on; open it!" Jackie was practically on the edge of her seat now, curious as to what the Doctor would have sent to himself, and would have gone through so much trouble to do so.

The Doctor carefully tore open the plain brown wrapping on the package, and lifted off the square-shaped topper of the box. His heart leapt at what he saw inside and he very carefully drew out a piece of white coral.

"What's that?" Jackie asked, peering at the piece with interest.

"A living part of the TARDIS," his voice was soft as he gazed at it, awe struck.

"But… the TARDIS is a machine…isn't it?"

"Oh, no, Jackie. The TARDIS is alive. The computers are hardwired into the heart of the TARDIS so that I can control it, but she is very much a living creature."

"But…if you've got a piece of it, what does that mean?"

"It means that…with a bit of luck…I can grow a new TARDIS."

Jackie gawked at him for a moment. "Oh no don't! Rose has crossed galaxies to find you! And you're just going to gallivanting off again? Leaving her again? Breaking her heart, again!"

"Don't you see, Jackie?" The doctor ignored her angry outburst. "With this I can give Rose everything she wants. I may not be her Doctor, but I can continue to show her things, travel with her. For the rest of our lives."

Jackie's eyes were watering as she stared at him across the table. "And what about me, then? You're going to take my Rose away from me again? Sometimes I hate you so much, Doctor. You've no idea what it's like for the people who get left behind."

He looked at her sadly, knowing now all too well how it felt. "I'm so sorry, Jackie. Really, I am. But wouldn't you want Rose to be happy?"

"She is happy, you plum! She's got you. That's all she ever wanted. Not the TARDIS, not traveling, just you."

The doctor brought his hand up to his temple as the ache in his head began to roar, wincing again with a slight hiss. Slight fear gripped his only heart as he wondered what was happening to him.

Jackie reached across the table and touched his hand. "Are you okay?"

The pain slowly ebbed away and he took a deep breath before looking at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

She gave him an odd look, but before she could say anything, he was standing up, gathering up the packaging. "Right then, well…I'm off!"

"Off? Where are you going?" She called after him, but received no reply. 

When Rose arrived later that afternoon she found the Doctor lying in the grass back behind the house, hands under his head and he stared up at the sky.

"One thing Earth has that Gallifrey doesn't," he said as he heard her approaching. "Blue skies. I love the colour blue, did you know?"

She sat beside him and plucked a blade of grass, picking it apart. He could discern from her quietness the meeting at Torchwood did not go well.

"What did they say?"

She didn't look at him, but he could see her trying to fight back tears. His earlier fears felt almost tangible. "Rose? What did they say?"

She swallowed hard. "Dad and I…we tried to tell them that you were just human now, but they threw around words like 'national security' and Dad couldn't argue with them. I'm so sorry; I couldn't do anything. They've told Dad to bring you in, or they would come 'collect you' themselves. It's not right…after all you've done…"

Rose dissolved into tears and he wrapped his arms around her fiercely. "Shhh…" he whispered to her. "It's alright, Rose; I knew they would want me sooner or later. I hoped they wouldn't, but…I am alien, regardless of my biology. It'll be alright. Here, I've got something to show you."

He needed to distract himself as much as her, and he pulled out the coral piece from inside his pocket, holding it up for her. "It's a living piece of the TARDIS." He told her before she could ask. "It'll take a bit of time, and the right conditions, but…I think I can make us a new TARDIS." 

The Doctor grinned, quite pleased with himself, watching Rose as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Where did you get that?"

He told her about the package and the theory about Mickey having been the messenger and she practically gaped at him before taking the small piece from his hand and looking at it carefully.

"How are you going to make a TARDIS from this? It would take decades to grow something as big as—"

"Time Lord technology, remember?" He told her. "I may be human, but I still have all the Doctor's knowledge. We proved last night I still have some of his abilities. He wouldn't have given this to me if he didn't think it was possible."

She smiled at him in true Rose fashion—her tongue poking through her teeth as she handed it back to him. "Best not show it to the people at Torchwood, or we'll never get it back."

He put it back in her palm. "Keep it safe for me until I get back."

"Does it need to be in water or somethin'?"

"Nah, just some place with a bit of sunlight." He looked back up at the sky. The Doctor would never admit to defeat, but he wasn't looking forward to the days ahead. Maybe, at least, they'd be able to figure out the headaches, he thought to himself before finding the courage to ask her, "How long before they come after me?"

"An hour," she said quietly, tears still shimmering in her eyes.

"Can you come with me?"

"I'd like to see them try to stop me," she said, eyes burning with fierce determination.

He smiled; his warrior Rose, always ready to fight for him. How he loved her.

He could hear someone else cutting a path across the grass and he and Rose both looked around to find Pete, shuffling toward them, hands in his pockets and face set with a frown. It was time, then. The Doctor climbed to his feet and squared his shoulders. He took a calming breath and met Pete's eyes.

"Alright," he said, his voice stronger than he felt. "I'm ready to go." 

Torchwood, the Doctor noted upon arriving, was cold. As a Time Lord, his body temperature had always been about 60 degrees Fahrenheit; but now he was regulating a human body, which functioned optimally at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot and cold would be very different to him now. The Doctor knew it was just one of the many things he was going to have to get used to.

"Ah, Doctor," a man in a grey suit was smiling at him, a look that made the doctor feel the man had just won the proverbial lottery. "So glad you could come."

"I wasn't aware I had a choice in the matter." The Doctor replied curtly, eyeing the men in white coats flanking the man in charge. Rose was by his side, gripping his hand so tightly he felt the circulation being cut off.

The man looked from the Doctor, to Rose, to Pete, who was stationed on the Doctor's other side and tried to ignore the slight.

"Thank you, Mr. Tyler, we'll take it from here."

"I'd like to stay," Pete said tersely before Rose could say anything. "To make sure no harm comes to him."

"I can assure you, Peter, that we will take excellent care of him."

"That's what I'm worried about," Pete replied with a look of loathing.

"Very well," the man said irritably. "Take them down to 4B, let's order a full bioscan."

The Doctor, Rose and Pete were lead to an elevator and he looked to Rose's father curiously. "What's a 'full bioscan' consist of?"

"Blood tests, physical, brain scans, body scans…Everything." Pete replied, unhappily. "They want to find every evidence that you're not completely Human."

"Ah," the Doctor responded. "Right. Prod now, ask questions later. Always seems to be that way…"

4B turned out to be little more than a glass cage with a cot, a toilet and a sink; a solid Plexiglas barrier with a few holes for air and communication and a slot for a food tray separated him from his freedom…and from Rose. The Doctor looked around the cell mournfully before looking out at Rose who was staring at him helplessly. He reconsidered her being here, not wishing for her to see what they might do to him.

"You should go," he told her softly, stepping up to the sheet of plastic glass and laying his palm flat against it. She moved closer and did the same, searching his eyes.

"I'm not leaving here without you." She told him, her voice strong and leaving no room for argument. He took a deep breath, releasing it in a very long, weary sigh.

He looked to Pete. "And you, what's your excuse then?"

"Well, I can't let you two have all the fun, now can I?"

The Doctor offered a weary laugh, then looked back at Rose, debating if he should mention his continued headache. She could sense his internal conflict and her eyes searched his.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm always fine," he lied finally, not wanting to worry her more than necessary. "Just longing for my sonic screwdriver right about now."

"Think you could make a new one?" Rose asked curiously.

"Careful," Pete warned softly, and nodded to the security camera mounted in the corner.

"Ah…right…" The Doctor said softly. So they were being watched, and probably listened to as well. He looked pointedly at the camera. "Is this how you treat all visitors to Earth? It's no wonder other life forms are so hostile to you. Maybe if you tried greeting them with a cup of tea and a biscuit instead of a prison cell, you'd get a better reception."

The Doctor turned away from the glass as the throbbing amplified once again at his temple. Maybe, he found himself thinking yet again, it really was a good thing he was here. He really didn't know anything about his new body, or what the limits were. He knew that human minds—normal human minds—were incapable of telepathy. His thoughts turned to Donna just then and he felt suddenly very, very sad. He hadn't considered what might have happened to her after she and the Doctor had left…but he could guess. If he knew himself…

"Thete?" He'd been quiet too long, apparently. Rose knew something was wrong.

He looked up at her and forced a smile, "So, what shall we do to pass the time, then? I know! Tell me about life here on this Earth. Any new species you've come across? Dazzle me, Rose Tyler."

Rose was looking at him strangely. "Doctor, are you alright? You've gone a bit...pale."

"I feel a bit…weird." The Doctor said, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. He looked at Rose but suddenly couldn't focus on her. He felt like a drum was beating inside his head. He raised his hand to his head and felt his body swaying slightly. He could hear Rose and Pete shouting something at him but couldn't make out what they were saying. Then everything went black.

The Doctor became aware of a constant beeping somewhere nearby. It was steady, almost rhythmic, and somewhat familiar. For a moment, he thought maybe this had all been a horrible nightmare and he was still his real self back on the TARDIS. Disoriented, he slowly began to wake up, feeling as though he was dragging his mind through thick mud back into awareness. He hadn't remembered falling asleep...

The Doctor opened his eyes to get his bearings and found himself in a very white room with institutional lighting and no windows. _Still at Torchwood then._

There was movement a few feet away and he turned his head slightly to see Pete coming to stand next to him. "Feeling better?"

"What happened?"

"We're not really sure," Pete answered slowly. "What do remember?"

The Doctor thought carefully. "The last thing I remember was talking to Rose."

Pete nodded, "You blacked out. Told us you were feeling a bit strange."

"Yeah…" The Doctor said, remembering. "I've been having headaches…really terrible ones. Where's Rose?"

"I sent her home," Pete said gently. "She needed a rest."

"Right, probably best." The Doctor sighed softly, then looked back at Pete. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly two days."

"Two days?" The Doctor shouted, stunned. "You can't be serious…two days?"

"The good thing is that they were able to run all the necessary tests while you were unconscious. They've been reviewing the results very carefully, but we've no idea what Time Lord physiology is like, no way to compare our results with what is normal for your people, so it's been difficult sorting things out."

The Doctor tried to swallow, not comforted in the least by what Pete had just told him. The ache in his head was still there as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Show me what they've found."

As Pete helped him out of the hospital bed, unhooking wires and monitors, the Doctor looked down at the flimsy gown he was wearing. "What happened to my clothes?"

Pete stifled a smirk as he handed the doctor his jeans and shirt, turning his back so the Doctor could properly change, then the two headed down the corridor to a lab-type area where two men were analyzing a print out of something.

"Burt?" Pete called out and the men turned to look at him.

"Doctor," one man, presumably Burt, came forward with an outstretched hand, taking up the Doctor's and shaking it vigorously. He was shorter than the Doctor, and older—in looks, at least—with graying hair and watery blue eyes behind large glasses. The Doctor liked him immediately and smiled as Burt continued pumping his arm. "It's such an honor to be properly meeting you. I presided over all the tests we ran on you and I've been going over the data we've found so far. How are you feeling? Peter said you took quite a tumble. You were out for some time."

The Doctor ignored his questions. "Pete said you've had a bit of trouble figuring me out?"

"I'm afraid so," Burt nodded, but then continued more cheerfully. "We've collected blood samples, done an MRI, x-rays, the whole lot. Want to see?"

The Doctor nodded and Burt led him over to where his younger associate was still standing near a lab table, looking at the Doctor awestruck. "Hello," the Doctor said with a smile. "I'm the Doctor."

"R-Roger." The man stuttered in response.

"Good to meet you, Roger, what've you got for me?"

Burt piped back up at that point. "The results from your blood test suggest that you are type O negative, which is the universal blood type on Earth, and very rare."

The Doctor smiled at that as he assimilated this new knowledge.

"There is, however, one difference. Type O blood types have both Anti-A and Anti-B antibodies present—it's the only blood type on Earth that does. One of the antibodies in your blood appears to be mutated."

Burt indicated to a microscope and the doctor squinted through the lens at the slide below. He was familiar with the different blood group systems of Earth and the antibodies present in the blood stream. As Burt had said, there were two antibodies floating in the sample of blood. One Y-shaped human antibody, and one X-shaped antibody. As a Time Lord, his extra-cellular matrix had been very different from that of humans. Time Lords didn't have antibodies, but their blood was highly adaptive. It was possible that in response to the meta-crisis, his blood adapted to something that would be compatible with that of a human, but with no place for the extra properties to go, they mutated.

"Have you worked out how the X antibody will affect me?"

"Not yet, but it seems to be in perfect harmony with the normal antibodies. You're quite remarkable, Doctor," Burt was telling him. "Both as a Time Lord and as a human."

"What else have you got?" He asked, ignoring the compliment.

Burt waved him over to where a few x-rays were hung up against a backlight. "Skeletal structure, digestive system, musculature, endocrine, reproductive system, cardiovascular system all appear to be completely human and functioning very well."

The Doctor looked at his completely different, and now human, structure. Gone were his extra ribs along with his second heart, and his second liver. His cardiovascular and pulmonary systems were unrecognizable to him. He now had lungs—human lungs—instead of the pulmonary tubes his Gallifreyan ancestors had been born with. He felt overwhelmed by all the changes, not quite accepting this new form of being. He needed to sit down, to think…

Burt was moving on though, pointing to an x-ray of the Doctor's head. "This however…isn't."

The Doctor wasn't sure if Burt meant that it wasn't human or wasn't functioning well and his single heart raced as he waited for the little man to continue. "By all accounts it looks like a human brain—thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus—there all there… but so is this."

The Doctor looked at the area Burt pointed to at the anterior of the hypothalamus. A small, bulbous region that almost looked like a second Thalamus. Gallifreyan's had very large, complex brains that made what the Doctor did possible—telepathy, enhanced senses, the ability to perceive time itself. It was the single-most organ that made them Time Lord's. And now, all that was left of that brain, was squashed up into a tiny ball, locked away in this inferior brain.

No wonder he had headaches. And then, it suddenly made sense…the human thalamus regulated the sensory system. Humans only had five senses, but Time Lord's had seven—sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, telepathy and time. There was no way a human thalamus could regulate the extra two senses, it simply wasn't built for that. His thalamus was trying to compensate by shutting down—the headaches, the blackout—it was a built in defense mechanism…and it would probably kill him.

Now he really did sit down as he tried to wrap his mind around whatever options might be available to him. He thought back through the past several days. When he'd been created, they'd been in battle and he hadn't really stopped to think about what was different. He'd noticed small things—like having one heart, and how his senses seemed dulled—but now…he really considered it.

As a Time Lord, he could feel the Earth moving beneath his feet, hurdling around the sun at a thousand miles an hour…now he just felt dizzy from all the information he'd just been given about himself. He could no longer perceive time beyond the seconds and minutes ticking away at that moment. Was this what it was like to be human? To feel so utterly small, so lost, so insignificant? No wonder all his companions told him they weren't special...they truly weren't. Well, sure they were special to him and their timelines were important, but as creatures in the cosmos…they were very literally nothing. And now…so was he.

The Doctor stared at the images of his fate and thought, just for a second, that nothing could have frightened him more—not even staring into the time vortex itself and seeing at the rebirth of the Dalek Empire. He was forever lost and alone and he hated his fully-Time Lord counterpart more than he thought possible. Had he known? Had he realized how useless being human would be and thus had left him here, just as he, again, had left Rose? How could he do that?

The Doctor felt rage like he'd never felt before. He wanted the Doctor to pay for what he'd done. He wanted to find him...and kill him.

Burt was speaking again, breaking the Doctor out of his hate-filled thoughts. "Frankly, Doctor, I've never seen anything like this before."

For the first time since he'd taken the title of The Doctor, he felt revolted by it. "Please stop calling me the Doctor," he growled through gritted teeth. "John Smith, Theta Sigma, Hey You…anything but 'The Doctor' is fine."

The other men were taken aback for a moment and Burt blinked, "My apologizes, D—J-John."

Thete raked a hand through his hair and sighed, "No, I'm sorry…I'm just…I'm no longer the Doctor and I don't want to be called by that title ever again."

"Of course," Burt agreed softly. "Do you have any theories about the structure of your brain as it is now?"

"Oh yes…" he said ominously. "And I don't like it one bit."


End file.
